Despite a strong bowling performance in the first innings, an unexpected batting collapse saw the Seattle Orcas remain winless from two as the Texas Super Kings secured their third consecutive victory this season.

After putting the Super Kings into bat, the Seattle Orcas hit the ground running, picking up both Faf du Plessis 7(12) and Devon Conway 13(17) early in the powerplay. Heinrich Klassen’s bowlers exhibited deft control and variation, offering little room for the opening pair to capitalize on the fielding restrictions. Four different bowlers opened the attack before an Obed McCoy stunner caught the South African veteran off guard, edging a mid-length bouncer to Klassen. Jasdeep Singh followed suit, trapping Conway in front of the off stump for LBW, and leaving the Super Kings with 30-2 after the powerplay.

A crucial partnership between Saiteja Mukkamalla and Kiwi star Daryl Mitchell stabilized the innings, leaving TSK with 74-2 after 11 overs. Despite Mukkamalla’s dismissal, the runs continued to flow with Marcus Stoinis, whose quickfire 28 (12) lit up the Oakland Coliseum. The Australian middle-order finisher holds the record for the highest 7th wicket partnership in T20Is and was a key pillar of the Punjab Kings' run to the final in this year’s IPL.

Small cameos from the rest of the lineup, including a strong finish from Milind Kumar 18 (13) and Shubham Ranjane 15 (8), set a target of 154 to win at the break. Harmeet Singh’s 2-24 stood out among the bowling efforts, with the American quick improving on his performance against the Washington Freedom, where he bowled only 2 overs.

David Warner and Kyle Mayers walked out to bat, hoping to pick up where they left off in the opening game. The pair both struck at a 150+ strike rate against the Freedom, but faced a complex bowling attack blessed with lethal spin and pace options.

Disaster struck in the second over as Kyle Mayers failed to middle a length delivery from Nandre Burger, departing for 0 (5). Zia-Ul-Haq joined the attack and was soon to make inroads, picking up David Warner with a full-length delivery outside off, outfoxing the Australian batsman, who was looking dangerous.

It wasn’t long before Nandre Burger struck again, this time with a deadly inswinger that beat Steven Taylor for pace as the batsman suffered a leading edge to mid-on. The pressure mounted as Captain Heinrich Klassen stepped out to bat and reignite the chase. However, the South African wouldn’t flip the script as he has on so many occasions, after being cleaned up by a late outswinger yorker on his first delivery. A golden duck, summing up the Seattle Orcas’ night.

Sikander Raza joined the list of low scorers as Zia-ul-Haq dismissed the Zimbabwe captain for 4(3). With the core of the batting lineup back in the shed, Aaron Jones slowly stretched the score with a consolidatory 17 (17). Noor Ahmad cleaned up the tail end, finishing the night with an impressive 3-18, securing a 93-run win for the Super Kings.

The Seattle Orcas will be determined to bounce back against MI New York and unleash the potential of their talented squad. Both teams have had slow starts to the tournament and will see their fixture as a catalyst for a comeback. Heinrich Klassen’s men will be eager to break the shackles and express the brand of cricket that embodies the Seattle Orcas' spirit.

- Written by Bharat Singh.